i have lived on the washougal river since 1976 and chased its steelhead almost as long. i remember having 11 fish days. if anyone is serious about a challenge try fishing the washougal. now there is no identifiable run at all i dont know anyone who has caught a fish from the washougal in 4 years..
i read reports of what people call "fair" fishing where a guy goes out and only hooks one or two in a day. personally i think thats outstanding fishing.. hang on to what you've got guys or you'll lose it.. me im giving up moving to montana.

my friend and I fished the washougal in january, and caught six fish, 4 clipped and two nates. The river has been better, but it still has a decent run.

Rob,

Could it be that the Washougal R. is a victim of "successful" hatchery management? I'm not personally familiar with that river, having fished it only once back in the 70s. But for such a small river, it has received some of the most massive hatchery smolt plants of any place in the state. That, and heavy fishing pressure, and no wild steelhead release regulation until perhaps the wild fish were pretty well gone. It seems to me that WDFW has been far less protective of wild salmon and steelhead in SW WA, compared to the positions it has taken on the Puget Sound and coastal drainages. I'd hate to think this was the case, but could it be that since there are no treaty Indian fishing tribes on the SW rivers, the WDFW allowed more liberal recreatiional harvest policies on SW rivers than they have under the watchful eyes of treaty tribes on Puget Sound and coastal rivers? It seems to me that's where all the sport fishing salmon and steelhead closures have been. Maybe WDFW, lacking a "resource first" policy just let us fish the wild fish out of existence on some of the SW rivers, especially the Washougal. What do you think?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Salmo, I think you're right.

The Washougal had one of the highest success rates of any river in the state due to massive hatchery plants. With no native releasing going on, and lots of fishermen, the nates were mopped up. No one noticed because the hatchery plants were huge and making lots of full punchcards

Hatchery production has been greatly reduced, and, surprise, surprise, few fish are returning. The native run was hit too hard during the heydays.

If you hit the river on the right day, fishing is good for nates and hatchery fish, but there aren't schools of fish in all the holes anymore.

Fish on...
Todd.

Slamo. I always enjoy your point of view, you seem to very educated. I take what you say to high regard. Thanx.

wow Kore you caught 4 out of 238 hatchery steelhead that the river got this year im sorry but 238 is not a decent run figure in a maximum of 200 natives and strays thats a wopping 438 fish divided by 35 miles of river thats a little over 12 fish a mile kinda funny also that the hatchery escapement numbers havent changed since the first week of january ohh how many of the 6 you caught were old summer fish sorry for the sarcasm but i dont believe you

4 hatcheries were downstreamers and were released. The two nates were also released.
My friend lives in camas. I am sorry you don't believe me. Perhaps you should try something besides a clown corkie and orange yarn. All fish released, no numbers recorded. Also fish that are caught and released, can be caught by another fisherman and released again. It is called catch and release
It is not the law to mark released fish.



[This message has been edited by KORE (edited 03-24-99).]

Yea, I have to say in Kores defense that harvest report data and the actual # of fish caught are two very differnt things. Just because the state says there were only two hundred and thirty eight fish by no means means its true. I don't see any reason to doubt his report. Those numbers don't seem two out of wack with my experience in other watersheds.

Kore, im a flyfisherman i never use corkies and i never keep steelhead. the numbers i was refering to was the number if steelhead at the skamania hatchery this winter.. like i said i just done see or hear about anyone catching anything all winter...

and this isnt like any other watershed
it probably has the worst run of any river in the state.. the only fish left in the washougal are the awful hatchery fall chinook that do not bite anything!!!!! and people wonder why i totally opposed to hatcheries. i think all hatchery fish caught should be killed and eaten before they spawn with a native as i have seen happen many many times over the years

[This message has been edited by rob allen (edited 03-24-99).]